Three-year-old Mikhail Ali, of Leeds, UK, is a prodigy in the making. He has just been accepted as a member of Mensa, an organisation that admits only people with exceptionally high IQs. Little Mikhail can spell such words as 'information', 'elephants' and 'sundries' and can add and subtract four digit numbers. And if he's in the mood to impress you, he'll spell his words backwards! Qualifying in the Mensa test means that for his age, Mikhail is in the top two per cent of the population of the country. Parents Shansun and Tahir, who run an Internet software company, are naturally cock-a-hoop over their son's extraordinary prowess. They would like him to attend regular school ' at present he goes to a nursery ' but the authorities think he is not ready for it 'emotionally'. Well, Mikhail, we are not so sure.

Dance, dance

Fancy shaking a leg during school hours' Unthinkable' Not at all. At least not for the students of Holy Family School in Mumbai's Andheri East. Recently, the school set up a fully-equipped dance floor complete with strobe lights, a DJ, the works ' so that students can come and do a spot of jiving in their free periods. The idea, says principal Father Francis Swamy, is to let the kids unwind so they can get back to their studies with renewed vigour. The music is always peppy and upbeat ' one of their favourites is Dhoom macha le ' but, say school authorities, never anything vulgar. Needless to say, the students are loving it. School principals, are you listening'

New IISc

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, may soon have a second campus. The plan has been around for a while now. But with IISc approaching its centenary year, which falls in 2009, the authorities want a new campus to tie in with the celebrations. But they are yet to make up their minds on where the second IISc would be ' an Indian city or elsewhere. For the plan is to make the institute a global educational brand. Way to go, IISc.